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(N- ModeLj I 2Sheets-Sheet 1. B. & J. E. DAWSON.

"Car Brake and Starter.

Patented Jan. 2 5 1881.

N-PETERS, PfiOTO-UTHOQRAPNER, WASNIIIGION. D. C

Patented Jan. 25,1881.

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E. & J. E. DAWSON.

Gar Brake and Starter. No. 236,936. 1

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND DAWSON AND JOHN E. DAWSON, OF RED BLUFF, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO FRANK J. MAYHEW, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR BRAKE AND STARTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,936, dated January 25, 1881.

Application filed November 2, 1880.

.To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, EDMUND DAWSON and JOHN E. DAWSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Red Blufi, in the county of Tehama and State of Qalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Starters and Brakes for Street-Oars; and we do hereby declare the following to be a .full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention is designed as an improvement on the car starter and brake shown and described in Letters Patent No. 226,881, dated April 27, 1880, and. its object is to provide simple, strong, and easily-operated devices for storing up power and stopping the car.

Our improvement consists in the combination and arrangement of the operatingmechanism for storing up the power used in stopping the car, and at the same time applying the brakes to the wheels, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth, and specifically claimed.

Our improvement also consists in the engaging mechanism attached to ashaft that is suspended at one end to a vibratory bearing, whereby the gearing can be thrown into and out of mesh with the gearing on the car-wheel axle.

Our improvement also consists in a shaft having near one end a spiral thread and a spirally-threaded nut, with fork-arm, in combination with a ratchet mechanism for retaining the stored-up power.

Our improvement also consists in the novel combination of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth, and specifically claimed.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of un under-side view of a street-car with our improvements attached. Fig. 2 is alongi- (No model.)

dotted lines. Fig. 4 are views of the ratchet mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail view of a bolt and spring employed to disengage the pawls from the ratchet-teeth.

In the annexed drawings, forminga part of this specification, the letter A represents the sills, B the frame, 0 the axle-journal boxes, D D the axles, and E the track-wheels, of an ordinary street car.

To the axle D near one end, inside of the wheel, is keyed a cog-wheel, F, with a wide surface, and near the other end, but inside of the opposite wheel, is fixed a cog-wheel, G. This cog-wheel is composed, essentially, of

two parts, I) and d, the part I) being provided with internal ratchet-teeth, 2, and the part at with a plurality of pawls 3 and springs 4. The part I), having the peripheral cog-teeth, works loosely on the axle, and the other part, d, with the spring-pawls, is keyed to the axle.

The letter H represents a shaft, having its bearing at one end in a fixed suspended journal-bearing, e, and the bearing at the other end in a suspended vibratory journal-bearing,

h, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) controlled by a lever, as

will be hereinafter described. These journalbearings for the sh aft H are arranged in front of the forward axle, and are of such a height as to sustain the shaft in a horizontal plane, or nearly so, with the axle. On this shaft, near one end, is keyed a cog-wheel, 7c, and also a loosely-fitting cog-wheel, l, carrying a drum, m, both meshing with the cog-wheel F, keyed to the axle, and near the other end is keyed a cog-wheel, a, meshing with a small pinion, 19, journaled to the bracket of the journal-bearing e, and this small pinion, intermediately arranged, meshes into the cogwheel G on the forward axle, as shown fully in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This end of the shaft H is formed with spiral threads 8, over which works a spirally-threaded nut provided with a forkarm, t, extending rearwardly and embracing the axle D, so as to fit against the part b of the cog-wheel G, as seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The letter I represents a brake-lever, with its fulcrum between the frame of the car and the strap a, and forming a connection with the brake-bars K K, through the agency of the connecting-rods V V.

The letter M represents a tension coil spring, attached at one end to a suspended bracket or arm, N, (see Fig. 2,) and provided at the other end with a cable, u, extending forward and connected to the drum 1 fixed on the shaft H. One end of the brake-lever I is provided with a cable, 2, which likewise extends forward and is connected to the drum m. The movable end of the shaft 11 is provided with a connecting-rod, Q, which is connected at its forward end to the triangular-shaped or hell crank lever R, with its fulcrum in a post, 5. The vertical lever S, having a pivotal hearing at 6, works in the slot or opening at the forward end of the bell-crank lever, as seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In the foregoingdescription wehavea means for stopping the car, and a mechanism for storing up power to start, or assist the horses to start, the car again.

Operation: Take hold of the lever S and move it to the left, which will throw the gearing is 5 into mesh with the gear-wheel I thus causing the shaft H to revolve and wind up the cable of the tension-spring on the drum 1, and the cable 2 on the drum m, which causes the brake-bars to act on the wheels. During this operation of stopping the car and storing up power the spirally-threaded nut with forkarm is acting on the loose portion of the gearwheel G, so as to get the ratchet-connection to retain the stored-up power for use. When the car is ready to start again the lever b is released and thrown in the opposite direction, the gearing on the shaft disengaged, and the power stored up acts to rotate the front axle forward with considerable leverage, thereby aiding the horses in startingthe car from its state of rest.

The foregoing improvements may be applied to double-end cars that travel in opposite directions without turning around by duplicating the parts; also, the mechanical construction of the parts may be varied to produce the same results.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A front axle of a street-car having the gear-wheel with a wide meshing surface and the ratchet-connection, substantially as described, in combination with a shaft having a fixed journahhearing at one end opposite the ratchet-connection, and a movable hearing at the other end, and provided with engaginggearing capable of a vibratory motion through the instrumeutality of their shaft, whereby the operative parts can be readily engaged and disengaged, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the front axle, having a gear-wheel with a wide meshing surface, and a shaft carrying fixed and loose gears k l, and a winding-up drum operated from the platform of the car by a lever, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the front axle, having a gear-wheel with a wide meshing surface and a ratchet-connection, of a shaft provided with engaging-gearing k, l, and n, winding-up drums P and m, and cables w and z, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the front axle of the car, provided with the gear-wheel F and. ratchet-connection G, of the vibratory shaft 75 H, provided with the gear-wheels k l and a p, the winding-up drums m P, connecting-rod Q, bell-crank lever R, and lever S, substantially as described.

5. In combination with an axle of a car pr vided with a ratchetrconnection, a shaft; hav ing a spiral screw-thread, s, and a feed-nut with an extension or projection, t, to engage with the loose movable portion of the ratchetcounection, whereby the pawls are caused to engage with the ratchet-teeth, for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of the axle D with gearwheel F, and ratchet-connection G, shaft H, with gearing k, l, n, and p, and drums at and 0 P, and a brake mechanism, whereby, in the act of storing up power, the ear is stopped, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND DAWSON. JOHN E. DAWSON.

Witnesses N. P. CHIPMAN, CHAS. A. GARTER. 

